NASA is creating “genius materials” on board ISS

Smart materials are so yesterday, especially if you’re at NASA. A material is usually classified as “smart” if it has been engineered for a specific purpose, rather than adapted from a natural form. An example of smart materials most people are familiar with is the Gorilla Glass that covers smartphone screens. NASA is now working on a new class of materials that go beyond smart. On the International Space Station (ISS), research into so-called “genius materials” is just getting under way.

The basic premise of a genius material is that it would be able to self-assemble into a molecular orientation much like an engineered smart material. Coaxing molecules into various arrangements can give them incredible properties, like the extreme durability of Gorilla Glass. To investigate genius materials, scientists are turning to the crew of the International Space Station.

The InSPACE-3 experiment is one such initiative that focuses on suspensions of nanoparticles called magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) exposed to a pulsing magnetic field. This allows the particles to self-assemble into microscopic structures. Doing this research away from the influence of gravity affords the team an opportunity to carefully observe the behavior of molecules as they are manipulated by the magnetic pulse.

The InSPACE-3 experiment has already produced fibrous and crystalline materials that could have useful properties. One of the principal investigators on the project speculates that the self-assembled fibers could be used to conduct electricity in only one direction. Research is now focusing on varying the shape of the nanoparticles, magnetic field switching, and the temperature of the mixture to create new structures for investigation.